Biete - Deuterium » as the San Francisco Giants NLCS hero, the guy who hi

SAN DIEGO -- There were two certainties about Tony Gwynn: He could hit a baseball like few other major leaguers, and he was going to laugh. Gwynn was a craftsman at the plate, whose sweet left-handed swing made him one of baseballs greatest hitters. The Hall of Famer died Monday of oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54. Any knowledgeable fan can recite Gwynns key stats. He had 3,141 hits -- 18th on the all-time list -- a career .338 average and won eight batting titles to tie Honus Wagners NL record. There was far more to the man. In a rarity in pro sports, Gwynn played his whole career with the Padres, choosing to stay in the city where he was a two-sport college star rather than leaving for bigger paychecks elsewhere. He was loyal, generous and approachable. He smiled a lot. It didnt take much to get him to laugh his hearty laugh. Gwynn loved San Diego. San Diego loved "Mr. Padre" right back. His death left even casual fans grieving. "Our city is a little darker today without him, but immeasurably better because of him," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a statement. Five things to remember about Gwynn: HIS CRAFT: After spending parts of just two seasons in the minors, he made his big league debut on July 19, 1982. Gwynn had two hits that night. After Gwynn doubled, career hits leader Pete Rose, who been trailing the play, said to him: "Hey, kid, what are you trying to do, catch me in one night?" On Monday, Rose recalled Gwynns work ethic and his pioneering use of video to study his at-bats after every game. "Every day you went to the ballpark in San Diego and we used to go 2:30 or 3 oclock, Tony would be out there hitting, religiously, every day," Rose said. "Fifty-four years old is way too young." THE LAUGH: Former Padres teammate Tim Flannery recalls Gwynn as "always laughing, always talking, always happy." It didnt take much for Gwynn to cackle or break into a horse laugh. "He had a work ethic unlike anybody else, and had a childlike demeanour of playing the game just because he loved it so much," said Flannery, third base coach for the San Francisco Giants. THE 5.5 HOLE: Gwynn loved to hit the other way, through the hole between third base and shortstop. "All I keep thinking of when I think of Tony Gwynn is that line drive base hit to left field, or the one-hopper in the hole at shortstop to left field," Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said. "He hit the ball wherever it was pitched, and he was just a genius with the bat, without a doubt." SAN DIEGO STATE: Gwynn had been on a medical leave since late March from his job as baseball coach at San Diego State, his alma mater. He called it his dream job, one he began right after retiring from the Padres following the 2001 season. He coached his son, Tony Jr., whos with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gwynn played point guard for the SDSU basketball team -- he still holds the game, season and career record for assists -- and in the outfield on the baseball team. He was drafted by both the Padres (third round) and San Diego Clippers (10th round) on the same day in 1981. As much as he loved basketball, baseball was his future. Texas Augie Garrido, the winningest college baseball coach, said at the College World Series on Monday that he tried to recruit Gwynn when he was coaching at Cal State Fullerton, but told him he wouldnt be able to play baseball and basketball. Because baseball would be well underway by the time basketball ended, "Youd have to be one hell of a baseball player to be break into the lineup," Garrido recalled telling Gwynn. "He decided to go to San Diego State. After he won his seventh batting title at Dodger Stadium on the last day of the season, he broke that story to the LA Times. He didnt leave out one bit of information about how stupid I was. Thats why my recruiting genius is limited," said Garrido, who added he and Gwynn had a good relationship. TERRIFIC TONY: Gwynn struck out only 434 times in 9,288 career at-bats. He played in San Diegos only two World Series -- batting a combined .371 -- and was a 15-time All-Star. He had a home run in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series off fellow San Diegan David Wells and scored the winning run in the 1994 All-Star Game despite a bum knee. Gwynn never hit below .309 in a full season. He spread his batting titles from 1984, when he batted .351, to 1997, when he hit .372. Gwynn was hitting .394 when a players strike ended the 1994 season, denying him a shot at becoming the first player to hit .400 since San Diego native Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Günstige Nike Schuhe Schweiz .Y. -- Syracuses streak lives on -- barely. Air Max 90 Bestellen Schweiz . The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal sustained minor damage during the protests, but demonstrators stayed away on Sunday and officials said the stadium passed its first test, with only minor adjustments needed going forward. http://www.schuheairmaxschweiz.com/air-m...et-schweiz.html. 1 overall pick in the draft by the Houston Texans, is recovering from sports hernia surgery. Air Max 720 Günstig Air Max Outlet .com) - Patrik Elias registered the winner in the shootout as New Jersey nipped Toronto 2-1 at Prudential Center on Wednesday.6) If youre a sports fan living in Toronto or Winnipeg, are you thinking things couldnt be worse anywhere else? Well, they probably can...in the other place. While Torontonians saw the Leafs, Argos and TFC suffer a losing weekend, the Winnipeg headlines referred to the Blue Bombers worst season since 1930 and offered the idea that the Jets season had already gone "sideways", after only five games.7) On the other hand, did you realize that the combined record of the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks is 12-3? So Canadas three best teams compare nicely with Californias three teams - LA, Anaheim and San Jose are 13-3-2. Well, their records compare favourably. 8) Are you big on hockeys plus-minus statistics? Ponder this - two of the NHLs worst minus players so far are Rene Bourque and Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens, who have won five of their first six games.9) Who is Travis Ishikawa? You know him as the San Francisco Giants NLCS hero, the guy who hit the three-run homer that put the Giants into the World Series against Kansas City. However, you dont really know Ishikawa unless you see a list of his former minor-league teams and realize that Travis Ishikawa is the epitome of the baseball dream.In addition to major league stops in San Francisco (twice), Milwaukee, Baltimore, New York (Yankees) and Pittsburgh, Ishikawa has played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanos, Hagerstown Suns, Connecticut Defenders, Scottsdale Scorpions, Fresno Grizzlies, Norfolk Tides and Charlotte Knights. In April of this year, he played for none of those teams. He was an unemployed minor-league free agent. 10) It may or may not be a big deal that the KC Royals have home-field advantage in the World Series, but it is theirs because of the American Leagues 5-3 win over the National League in the All-Star game. What do you remember about that game? Not much, right? Ah, but what if I mention the names of Adam Wainwright and Derek Jeter? Now, it comes back - the controversy created by Wainwrights admission that he grooved a pitch that Jeter, in his farewell All-Star appearance, smacked for a double in a three-run first inning. It was actually suggested that the result of the game should not count, and that the World Series should open in the park of the team with the best regular-season record. That would have been Kansas City, so never mind the fuss...I guess.11) How many members of the Royals and the Giants were chosen as starters for that 2014 MLB All-Star game in Minnesota? And, of course, the answer is...none.12) World Series managers Bruce Bochy of San Francisco and Ned Yost of Kansas City dont really look alike, but they seem alike. Theyre both former catchers who appear studiously calm during a game. They answer questions with a politeness that suggests there need not be too many of them if theyre meant to bring colourful answers. The difference between Bochy and Yost is that Bochy is bidding for his third World Series ring, and the two hes got make him the most successful manager of these times. The only other currentt manager with two? Terry Francona of Cleveland, whose rings are adorned with a Red Sox logo.dddddddddddd13) As you watch the World Series, with the Giants employing a designated hitter in the first two games and the Royals pitchers batting in the next two, ask yourself the following question: "Is there anything dumber than a pro sports championship series that includes two sets of rules based on a games location, and is there a chance the next baseball commissioner will be bold enough to call for one set of rules - DH or no DH - that would apply to both leagues"?14) The next time you watch Steven Stamkos or John Tavares, ask yourself this question: "Did Canada really win Olympic gold in Sochi without Stamkos and Tavares, and with Sidney Crosby scoring one goal?"15) What is the end result of the Oscar Pistorius trial that seemed to last forever? It is that Pistorius may end up serving a 10-month jail sentence before his punishment reverts to house arrest. In that event, Pistorius would spend only three months longer in jail than he did in a South African courtroom trying to avoid jail.16) The Florida Panthers owners say they are "100 per cent convinced" that a market for NHL hockey exists in South Florida. Im not sure you can be "95 per cent convinced", but Id pick a number lower than 100, wouldnt you?17) Its a long story, and the only sad one connected to the Kansas City Royals appearance in the 2014 World Series. Frank White is an all-time Royal whose ties to the teams history are even greater than George Bretts, but White and the Royals had a major falling-out that made him declare he would never be seen at Kauffman Stadium again.He has broken that vow to sit in the stands a few times recently. It wont happen, but surely it should - wouldnt a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Frank White, with Brett alongside, be a perfect way to celebrate the moment?18) Do you know how bad the Cincinnati Bengals were in the first half of their 27-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday? They gained 27 yards, thats how bad. Thats less than a yard per minute. And it could get worse when the Bengals play at home this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, who are playing a lot better now than when they dropped their season opener at home to the Bengals. Ravens seek revenge, and may have no trouble finding it. 19) Should a goalie win the Hart Trophy? To each his/her own on this one, but my answer would be: Not unless the year is 1997 or 1998 and his name is Dominik Hasek. The standard of goaltending excellence and value to his team set by Hasek in Buffalo has not been equalled since, which is a polite way of disagreeing with the choice of Jose Theodore in 2002. Hasek will be honoured in Bu